Research project
The Centre for Observation and Modelling of Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Tectonics (COMET)
- Start date: 1 April 2002
- End date: 31 March 2029
- Funder: NERC
- Value: £7.2 million from 2014 - 2029
- Partners and collaborators: British Geological Survey University of Bristol University of Cambridge University of Manchester University of Oxford University of Sheffield University of Edinburgh European Space Agency National Centre for Earth Observation Global Earthquake Model Foundation
- Primary investigator: Professor Tim Wright
- Co-investigators: Professor Andy Hooper, Dr John Elliott, Professor Jurgen (Locko) Neuberg, Dr Laura Gregory, Dr Susanna Ebmeier, Dr Tim Craig
- External co-investigators: Alessandro Novellino (BGS), Brian Baptie (BGS), Ekbal Hussain (BGS), Ilaria Mosca (BGS), Luke Bateson (BGS), Melanie Duncan (BGS), Samantha Engwell (BGS), Sue Loughlin (BGS), Margarita Segou (BGS), Annie Winson (BGS), Juliet Biggs (Bristol), Matthew Watson (Bristol), Max Werner (Bristol), Sam Wimpenny (Bristol), Pui Anantrasirichai (Bristol), Alex Copley (Cambridge) Marie Edmonds (Cambridge), Mike Burton (Manchester), Don Grainger (Oxford AS), David Pyle (Oxford ES), Jessica Hawthorne (Oxford ES), Richard Walker (Oxford ES), Tamsin Mather, (Oxford ES), Ed Rhodes (Sheffield), Qi Ou (Edinburgh), Brendan McCormick Kilbride (Manchester), Charlotte Royle (Centre Manager) Lucy Sharpson (Research and Events Officer) Yasser Maghsoudi Mehrani (Leeds, InSAR Scientist & Facility Developer) Neill Marshall (Oxford, Brittle tectonic deformation) Isabelle Taylor (Oxford, Volcanic Gas and Ash) Ben Esse (Manchester, Volcanic Gas and Ash) Scott (Cameron) Watson (Leeds, Geoinformatics) Matt Gaddes (Leeds, Machine Learning) TBC (Leeds, Ductile tectonic deformation) Edna Dualeh (Bristol, Magmatic Deformation and Modelling) Milan Lazecky (Leeds, Scientific Developer and Programmer)
- Postgraduate students: Jennifer Castelino, Pedro Espin Bedon, Jacob Connolly, Megan Udy, Eva Zand, Josefa Sepulveda Araya, Manon Carpenter, Natalie Forrest, Eilish O'Grady, Daniel Sefton, Jessica Payne, Reza Bordbari, Dehua Wang, Rachel Bilsland, Muhammet Nergizci, Alice Hopkins, Alice Blackwell, Laura Wainman, Rosie Lewis, John Condon, Eliot Eaton, Syauqi Hidayatillah, Yuan Gao, Rae Hughes, Shungu Tonoyama, Yutaro Shigemitsu
The Centre for the Observation and Modelling of Earthquakes Volcanoes and Tectonics (COMET) delivers National Capability Science for NERC using satellite measurements alongside ground-based observations and geophysical models to study earthquakes and volcanoes, helping us to understand the hazards they pose. COMET was founded in 2002, rapidly establishing itself as a world-leading centre for the integrated exploitation of satellite data (Earth Observation), ground-based data, and geophysical models for research into geohazards. COMET is now a national-scale community with considerable size and impact, which brings together world-leading scientists across the BGS and 14 UK universities: Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, East Anglia, Edinburgh, Exeter, Imperial, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Oxford, Plymouth, Portsmouth and Sheffield.
Since April 2014, we have been working in partnership with the British Geological Survey (BGS) to better understand tectonic processes and hazards. Together, we deliver cutting-edge research on earthquakes and volcanoes as well as hazard monitoring services. The activities of COMET and BGS are highly synergistic. Their 20+ years of research using and developing satellite radar interferometry (InSAR) for measuring deformation, for example, has enabled them to develop real-time deformation data to the community.
The long-term underpinning Earth Observation science and geohazards research that we undertake alongside BGS benefits the wider community of environmental scientists and provides a flexible platform to respond to natural disasters. By combining data from this service with COMET and BGS expertise, we are able to provide reliable, rapid advice to governments, the scientific community, and local partner organisations during a seismic or volcanic crisis.
We also work closely with the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) and European Space Agency (ESA), and many other national and international partners. Our long-term collaborations with partner organisations worldwide also make BGS-COMET uniquely placed to engender collaborations with and between developing nations (many on the DAC list).
Impact
COMET members contribute to research in response to significant global events. Following the Türkiye-Syria earthquake in February 2023, which caused widespread destruction both in Türkiye and Syria, COMET worked closely with international partners, focusing initially on processing satellite data to measure how the ground moved during the earthquake. We also provided a technical briefing to the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. COMET works closely with governments, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and other partners to deliver real-world impact, shape policy decisions and improve how we manage natural hazards.
Through our partnership with BGS, we also provide emergency advice for the Scientific Advisory Group in Emergencies (SAGE) and Cabinet Office Briefing Room (COBR) and further scientific expertise on volcanic hazards and impacts as requested to UK government departments and the European Emergency Response and Coordination Centre.
Through the NATO Science for Peace and Security (SPS) program ‘Geoenvironmental Security of the Kazakh and Kyrgyz republics’, COMET researchers are building detailed earthquake records across the Tien Shan region, and incorporating these data into national hazard maps and assessments in collaboration with our partners.
We have developed close links with the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) and Global Volcano Model (GVM) as well as the US Geological Survey (USGS) and their Powell Centre Working Group. We also sit on the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) Working Group on Disasters (leading the Pilot and Demonstrator projects) and Deep Carbon Observatory, and make our data available via the European Plate Observing System (EPOS).
We also work with the space agencies, advising ESA on Sentinel-1’s acquisition strategy and helping to develop new EO missions, with COMET scientists sitting on the Mission Advisory Groups for Earth Explorer 10 mission Harmony, and Sentinel-1-NG.
For furter content please follow the below links:
COMET Datasets and Services
COMET Webinars
Publications and outputs
For publications please click here